Blair under renewed fire over Kelly suicide

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has come under fresh fire over his role in the public naming of a weapons expert whose suicide helped batter the Government's popularity over war in Iraq.

Senior official Kevin Tebbit told an inquiry into David Kelly's death that Mr Blair's office - not the Defence Ministry - had been the driving force behind a decision to issue a statement clarifying the Government's position in the case.

That decision was taken at a July 8 meeting chaired by Mr Blair, Mr Tebbit told the final session of judge Lord Hutton's inquiry into the death of Dr Kelly. "The decision to put out a statement was one taken in No. 10 (Mr Blair's office)," he said.

The opposition Conservative Party leapt on Mr Tebbit's words as proof that Mr Blair had misled the nation over his role in the affair, which has embroiled the Prime Minister's decision to take Britain to war in controversy.

"Sir Kevin has said the key decision on the naming strategy was taken at the meeting in No. 10," said Michael Ancram, foreign affairs spokesman for the Conservatives.

"That meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's denials are now shown to be a sham," he said.

At the inquiry in August, Mr Blair acknowledged that he was at the July 8 meeting and took full responsibility for the strategy agreed at it, which led to Dr Kelly being named. But a month earlier, days after Dr Kelly's suicide, he denied authorising that Dr Kelly be named as the source for a BBC report which said Mr Blair's aides had "sexed up" the case for war in Iraq.

Mr Blair's critics say he has shifted position on the naming strategy as the Hutton inquiry has unfolded.